1893-05-08 (132/134lbs) Arthur Valentine w co 14 (20) Harry Overton, NSC, Covent Garden, London, England. Referee: Bernard J. Angle. Wearing white cricket flannels rather that shorts, Valentine (131) started brightly and never really looked back. In the fourth round Overton (132) received a caution for going low and later in the session, when on one knee, he tried unsuccessfully to claim a foul after being caught by a blow to the head. The referee ruled that Overton had purposely gone to ground without taking a punch and that Valentine’s blows were already underway. Carrying a badly swollen left eye from the sixth, Overton went to one knee in the seventh and twice in the eighth before being cautioned again for going down to gain a respite. After twice dropping down in the tenth, Overton surprised all by going on to hold his own and actually hurt Valentine before being pushed to the floor several times. However, by the 13th Overton had shot his bolt and he was dropped for the full count, having taken a heavy right to the jaw. With Stanton Abbott campaigning in America this contest was generally recognised as deciding the English 132 and 134lbs titles. Other activity at the weight saw Bill Eyles win a 132lbs championship competition on 26 February 1894 when outpointing Arthur Callan over four rounds at the above venue before Johnny Boyle claimed the English 132lbs title on 14 August 1894 after a proposed contest against Valentine, who failed to make the weight, fell through. By July 1895, Callan was challenging the world at the weight and was followed by Tom Causer on 8 January 1897. At 134lbs, however, Valentine’s world title aspirations suffered a blow when he was stopped by America’s Billy Ernst inside five rounds at the Empire AC, Queens, NYC, New York, USA on 12 October 1895 and by early 1896 he was back in Britain.